Performances by Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks kicked off the morning as Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States.
Even with safety concerns due to the pandemic and riots in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the tone for the day was celebratory overall, with a strong emphasis on the message of unity during a time of extreme political division.
Lady Gaga kicked off the musical performances with a spirited rendition of the national anthem. It came as no surprise to anyone familiar with the singer’s performance during the 2016 Super Bowl that the vocal powerhouse delivered a masterful performance on Inauguration Day while backed by the United States Marine Band.
Shortly before President Biden was sworn in, Lopez performed a mashup of “This Land is Your Land” and “America, the Beautiful.” Lopez’s power ballad medley was made all the more potent as the singer recited a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish before closing out the song.
After the president and vice president were sworn into office, country singer Brooks performed an a cappella rendition of “Amazing Grace,” calling for “not just the people here, but the people at home, at work, as one” to sing with him in the last verse in an apparent call for unity.
Watch clips from the artist’s performances below. Justin Timberlake, Foo Fighters, New Radicals and many other artists are slated to perform later in the evening.
